Intro to Unix and Linux

Yanbin YinFall 2014

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Operating Systems

• Operating systems (OSs)– Windows– MAC OS– UNIX

http://www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module6c1.htm

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Why do bioinformaticians NOT like Windows?

• OS is NOT free

• Applications are NOT free

• The OS uses too much CPU and RAM resource

• Command-line is too simple to support automated data processing

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Why do Bioinformaticians prefer Mac or UNIX over Windows?

• Better development environment

• Software availability

• Powerful command-line interface (terminal)

To really learn bioinformatics (regardless of whether you’re a “biology student”), you need to become familiar with a “*nix” environment and the tools that it provides

http://network.nature.com/groups/bioinformatics/forum/topics/8100

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UNIX & Linux

• There are many different versions of UNIX, although they share common similarities. The most popular varieties of UNIX are Sun Solaris, GNU/Linux, and MacOS X

• Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The Linux kernel was written in 1991 by Linus Torvalds

7http://lifehacker.com/5904069/five-best-linux-distributions

Ubuntu: one of the mostpopular desktop Linux Distro

Linux distributions take the Linux kernel and combine it with other free software to create complete packages

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Two distinct UNIX environments

• Large/super computer cluster

• Individual Linux desktop/workstation

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MAC users

• MAC OS is essentially Unix based and has built-in terminal.

http://tech-devnet.blogspot.de/2012/05/running-ubuntu-1204-on-mac.html

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Multiple ways to install ubuntu

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba9Wv-XU_4M

• Make sure you are connected to the internet!

• WINDOWS 8 can NOT run Ubuntu alongside

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www.ubuntu.com/download

Download -> burn CD -> install

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https://wiki.ubuntu.com/WubiGuide

Use Wubi to install unbuntu

A different/easy way to install

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Takes at least 20 minutes to finish depending on how fast your computer and internet are

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Ctrl+Alt+t

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Want to delete ubuntu?

Get back to windows

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Next class: Linux command line basics